Refrigerator



VVFeb. 24, 1942. c. D. BoNsALL REFRIGRATOR Filed Nov.r 5, 1938 3 Sheets-Shea?l l ffl/l..

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 m Y N NMX mv ,Q ,m M QM. .-.1. A .x N

.MHHVIIHHMWHIUMWWNNHH Feb.VV Z4, `1942. c, D, BoNsALL n RFRIGERATOR Filed Nov. 5,l 195s Feb. 24, 1942.

c. D. BoNsALL.

REFRIGERATOR Filed Nov.v 5, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 .HIE-.225.21m

l I Patent'edFeb. 24, 1942 i UNITED ySTA-TE i A, *2,274,123l

s PATENT OFFICE* f Charles D. Bonsall, Pittsburgh. Pa., assigno'rto Standard. Railway Devices Company, a corporation of Delaware The inventionY relates to refrigeratingcabinets, such las are commonly used in Vstorage houses,

Vrailwayv refrigerator cars, refrigerated vtrucks and the like, and may beused to refrigerate a railway car or automotive truck.V The essential features VVofsuch refrigerators are a well insulated cabinet to retard ingress of heat` from thensurrounding atmosphere and a refrigeratingfmeans to keep Application November 5, 1938, Serial No..238 ,970

f claims. (Crta-:17) p Y scription made in'reference to theaccompanying Y drawings, in which:

L car embodying my invention.,

the inside of the cabinet at a uniformly low temperaturre. The invention is particularly 'adaptable to railway,refrigeratorfcars andAv will be de-` scribed'in reference thereto but is-Unot limited to railway use. l Referigerator-cars `are commonly refrigerated `by a convective "circulation of cooled air;4 the'` cooling means being positioned veither vadjacent the Vends ofthe car-or immediatelybelow the roof thereof. The advantagesofthe latter arrangement are an increased lading space by reason of greater available length anda-:more effective air; circulation due tothe increasedheight of theucoolingmeans. A foraminous oor rack is commonly placed upon the floor of the carand spaced therefrom` to allow a space from which the cooled air mayffilter upwardly, through the foraminous rack and cool the lading vby contact v-therewith. Flues associated', with the walls vof lthe carcommunicate with the space under the rackA to provide a' path for the ow of air'from the cooling meansato said-,space and thence to the lading compartment. Y f

The device comprises a system of cooling the vair within the cabinet (for car) by`a'convective or thermo-syphonic circulation of asecondary refrigerating fluid wthina closed system, 'which fluid is cooled Vby a prime vrefrigerant.

Any refrigerant maybe-used, such as water ice, brine,'eutectic ice or sblidv vcarbon dioxide, lcommonly called dry ice. Dry-lice is particularly suit- V *able because it sublimes to a gas which may be `easily disposed of and because its low tempera- :modified form of my invention.

- Fig. 1 is .a transverse section. of a refrigerator #Figs 'Zand 3 are sections on lines 2--2 Vand 3*-3 respectively of Fig. 1. ,y f

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig.; 1 showing a `Figa 5 and 6 aresections on lines 5-5 and 6 6 respectively of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a `view similar. to Figs. 1 and 4 showing another modified form of my invention.

, Figs. 8 and 9 are sections on lines 8-8 and 9`8 respectively of Fig. rI. Y'

The parts ofy the refrigerator car shown in Figs. 1 to 3 areside sill 2; sub-floor A3;.floor I; floor rack ."rspacedY above the Nfloor 4 to provide the space 6; side sheathing 1,;`si`de lining 48; false wall ,9 providing the flue I0; side plateII; roof I2; running board I3; hatch frame Ilsurround'- l ingthe hat-ch'l5; ceiling liypartition I1;`mem- Vber I8 andv insulation I8. l k member I8 cooperate with the ceiling I6 and the The partitionLV I1 and a the flue I0.- Y f VA refrigerant container 30 is positioned withinthe structure 2(I.t A jacket 3I Yis inthermoconductive relation with and preferably surrounds the container 30 so that a refrigerant 32 in the container, upon melting or subliming, c ools f a fluid 33 in the jacket. A header 34, which may ture inducesl a relatively vigorous circulation -of secondaryy refrigerant. K K Any' secondary refrigerant may be used which has a low freezing point'and wherein the density varies with temperature enough to induce circulationI through the conduit.

'The abject cf mein-vennen is to provide pesitive and efficient cooling system for a refrigerator in whichf4 the temperature may 'be regulated.

" Further objectsr are tc conserve lading space of the'car andto provide arefri'gerating system reouiringV no power fromexternal sources for operation. Qther cbjectsand advantagesof the Vinr Y'v ention will be apparent'from the following debe designated as the coldffluid header, communicates with the Ajacket 3l through the. pipe 35, said pipe being connected with the jacket adfjacent the bottom thereof. Another Vheader 36,

which maybe designated as the warm fluid header, is disposed substantially parallel with the cold of substantially parallel pipes 3l connect the header 36-with the header 34, some ofrsaid pipes 3l lpreferably beingl disposed between the partivof the jacket 3 I tion I 'I and container 30.* The header 3B has communication with the jacket 3I through the I pipe 38, said pipe leading to the upper portion The pipe 35, header V34, pipes 31,V header 36 and pipe 38 form* a conduit 39 whichcommunicates at both ends thereof with which the fluid 33 may circulate. The headers `34---36 may be secured to the car structure by any means, such as the brackets -4|.

The fluid 33 in the jacket 3|, being in thermoconductive relation" with the refrigerant 32, is cooled thereby, while the fluid in the conduit 39 Y is warmed by air flowing through the structure space 6 and upwardly through the lading compartment 23 to the structure 26 through the opening 22. Y

Insulation preferably isprovided around the jacket 3| to retard heat transfer. The .circulation'ofthe fluid 33 is dependent upon a relatively large temperature difference between the jacket 3'I and the conduit 39. The insulation 44 helps to preserve said difference bypreventing Vvthe circulating air from warming the fluid in the A thermostatic valve is shown in jacket 3|. the pipe 38 to control the temperature of the uid 33 and, therefore, of the air in the car. It may be preferable to Yplacesaid valve in the pipe 35.

In the modification shown in'Figs. 4 to 6 the conduit 50 comprises a plurality of horizontal pipes 5| disposed within' the nue: I0. A riser pipe 52 communicates between the lowermost horizontal pipe 53 'and the lower portion of the jacket 3|. Another riser 54 communicates between the uppermost horizontal pipe and the upper portionV of the jacket. 3|. Connecting portions 56 join alternate ends of the horizontal pipes 5| to form a vcontinuous conduit 5 0 having both of its endsrcommunicating with the jacket 3|. The

fluid inthe jacket 3|, beingcooled bythe melt-Y ing or subliming of therefrigerant 32, becomes colder'and more dense than the fluid in the conduit 50. The fluid, therefore, circulates convectively or thermo-syphonically from the jacket 3| downwardly through the riser 52 and upwardly through the pipes 5|; connecting portions 56 and `riser 54 to the upper portion of the jacket 3|.

V.The fluid 33 within the conduit 50 absorbs heat from the air inthe flue I0, thereby densifying said air and Causing it to descend by gravity.

This results in a convective circulation of air downwardly through the flue I0, through the space 6, upwardly through the lading compart- 'ment 23, through. the opening 22 to the structure 20 and thence tothe flue I0.

Figs. 7 to 9 show a modified design in which the parts shown are sideisill 2; sub-floor 3; floor 4;- oor rack 5 spaced above the floor 4 to provide the Space 6; side sheathing 1; side lining 8; false wall 9 providing the .flue I0; side plate II;

roof I2; running board I3; hatch frame I4 surrounding the hatch l5; ceiling I6 and insulation I9. vA refrigerant container 65 is positioned near the ceiling I6 and spaced from theside lining 8 lto allow the space 66for communication between the lading space 61 and the flue I0. There are also spaces 68 adjacent the container 65 to allow Y communication between the lading compartment VV6l and the flue IIJ.

the jacket 3| to form a closed system through with and preferably surrounds the container so that a refrigerant 32 in the container 65, upon melting or subliming, cools a fluid 69 in the jacket 64. The conduit 10 comprises a plurality of horizontal pipes 'II disposed within the flue I0. A riser pipe 12 communicates between the lowermost horizontal pipe 13 and the lower portion of the jacket 64. V.Another riser 14 communicates between the uppermost horizontal pipe I5 and the upper portion of the jacket 64. Connecting portions 12 join alternate ends of the horizontal pipes to form a continuous conduit V 10 having both of its ends communicating with Iii) ` A jacket 64 is in'thermo-conductive relation 75 the jacket 64.

The uid 69 in thevjacket 64, being cooled by the melting or subliming of the refrigerant 32, becomes colder and more dense than the fluid in the conduit 10. The fluid, therefore, circulates convectively or thermo-syphonically from the jacket 64 downwardly through the riser 12 and upwardly through the pipes 1|, connecting portions 'I6 and riser 14 to the upper portion of the jacket 64. Theuid Within the conduit 10 absorbs heat from the air in the flue Ill, thereby densifying said air and causing it to descend by gravity. This results in a convective circulation of air downwardly through the flue I0, through the space 6 and upwardly `through the lading compartment 61 to the top of the flue I0 through -ltV may be desirable to provide the insulation 8D around the jacket 64 to preserve the temperature difference between the fluid in the jacket 64 and conduit 'III as heretofore explained. The provision of the insulation is also desirable to prevent cooling of the air in the upper portion of the lading compartment 61. Cool air in said upper portion would settle downwardly through the lading compartment 10, thus interfering with the intended circulation which .is upwardly. The insulation 8|-82 on the risers i2-"I4 may also be provided to prevent the above mentioned settling of air in the lading compartment.

YThe accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it isdobvious that various modifications thereof, Within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In combination with the walls, roof and floor i of a refrigerator car, a foraminous rack arranged to support a lading upon said floor and provide a space therebetween, a flue associated with one of said walls and communicating at its lower end withy said space, a refrigerant container below said roof, a substantially horizontal partition spaced below said container to provide a Yduct therebetween arranged to conduct air from said lading compartment to the upper part of said flue, a header disposed substantially parallel with said last mentioned wall on each side of said conto support allading upon said floor and provide a space therebetween, a `flue associated 'with one of said walls and communicating at`its` lower end with said space,` a refrigerant container below `said roof, a substantially horizontal partition spaced below said container to provide a duct lading compartment to the upper `part of said ue, a jacket in thermo-conductive relation `with said container, a header disposed substantially parallel with said last mentioned wall on each n than the other.

3. In combination with the walls, roof and floor of a refrigerator car, a foraminous rack arranged `to support a lading upon said oor and provide a space therebetween, a fluev associated with one of said walls and communicating at its lower end with said space, a refrigerant container below said roof, a substantially horizontal `partition therebetween arranged to conduct air from said spaced below said container to provide a duct A `therebetween arranged to conduct air from said lading compartment to the upper part of said iiue, a jacket in thermo-conductive relation with said container', a header vdisposed substantially Iparallel with said last mentioned wall on each side of said container in spaced 'relation above said partition, a plurality'of substantially parallel conduits disposed in said` duct transverse to said last mentioned wall and communicating between said headers, said conduits havigngfupturned ends which communicate'with 'saidheaders, means to providel communication between one of said headers and said jacket, and means-y at a higher levelthan the first mentioned means to provide communication between the Vother of said headers and said jacket. i

4. In a refrigerator car having walls, roof and oor which define alading compartment, a foraminous rack arranged to support a lading upon said floor and provide a space therebetween, a flue associated with one of said walls and communicating at its lpwer end with said space, a refrigerant contairr below said roof in spaced relation to said last mentioned wall to form a chamber therebetween having communication with said lading compartment and with the upper part of said ue, a conduit having a part thereof disposed within said flue and another part thereof extending through said chamber, means to insulate the part of said conduit within said chamber, means to utilize a refrigerant in said container to cool a flue, and means'arranged so that said refrigerant induces a circulation of said cooled fluid through said conduit.

5. In a refrigerator car having walls, roof and floor which define a lading compartment, a fo-` raminous rack arranged to support a lading upon said floor and provide a space therebetween, a flue associated with one of said walls and communicating at its lower end with said space, a refrigerant container below said roof in spaced relation to said last mentioned wall to form a chamber therebetween having communication with said lading compartment and with the upper part of said flue,` a jacketv in thermo-conductive relation with said container, a conduit having the middle part thereof disposed within said flue andthe end parts thereof extending through saidcharnber and communicating with said jacket, one endat a higher level than the other end, and means'to insulate the part of said conduit within said chamber.

CHARLES D. BONSALL. 

